Lost my enthusiasm

[Cian]

It’s okay to walk away from a hobby. It’s also okay to just let your shop sit idle for a few months or even a year or two.

I’ve had dry spells of a few months when I just don’t want to pick up my tools. So I didn’t. When I needed to build something or found a project that grabbed  my interest, I got back to woodworking.

I think that if I were in your position, I could see a few possibilities.

You could just let the shop sit for a while and see what happens to your interests. Woodworking may come back to you at some point, or you may not miss it at all.  Take six months or a year off and see what happens.

You could start cleaning out the shop, selling your least essential tools, and seeing how you feel about downsizing. Sometimes it’s a relief to get rid of some stuff. A cleaned-out shop might be more pleasant to work in.

You could remodel the shop, adding some natural light (if possible) and try to make it a more pleasant workspace. New flooring, new paint, reorganized storage—those can make a space feel far more welcoming and easy to work in.

You could do a massive purge of the shop. Sell all but the most essential tools, and put the money into your new hobbies. Other people will enjoy using the tools, and you get to repurpose the shop space.

Very good advice.  I've walked away from woodworking for well over a year (or was it two?) in the past, and for series of months at other times, but I do still enjoy it whenever I get the chance to get back around to doing it once more.

[toolmiser]

Maybe you need an interesting project to get you going again. It seems to work for me, then I might do two or three. I find that our house is filled with furniture, and there isn't much need for more. Not a lot of need for new stuff. If I see something that interests me, that can go out the window.

[tag]

Interesting thread. I lost my desire years ago to woodwork when my wife made working on any woodworking project pure misery. I locked the door and didn’t enter the shop for 10 years. The day after my divorce I unlocked the door and started woodworking again. I enjoy woodworking now. I only build what I want, when I want, if I want.

[Arlin Eastman]

At least to me, a clean, well ordered shop with lots of natural light is a joy to work in. A shop building with large open doors on each end and large windows along the sides would allow you to open it right up on nice days, almost like working outdoors. (I have seen workspaces in the Caribbean that were literally without Walls, just a roof to keep the sun off.)

A simpler solution would be to construct a long porch-like overhang on one end with an extended concrete slab leading out under it. Tools and workbenches on wheels can be rolled out into the fresh air to work when weather permits.

Chris

If you seen what I posted on my new shop you can see how that is what I planned with a covered porch so I can turn early spring and late fall outside.

A few other things I would HIGHLY encourage is try your had at turning and all the ways you can do it that way and then incorporate carving into it as well like what I wish to do as soon as I get enough to buy the Proxxon carver.

Second is teaching others your craft and that my friend is highly satisfying and helping others as well.  Kids from 12 to 18 are wonderful to teach and learn to love what they make.  Most of the first things go to Mom or Dad or something they need.  Just try to remember what it was like at their age and do the same projects and same learning curve. 


Last take some time off and come out to my house and teach me how to do cabinets since I need several of them and it will be great time together.

[Bibliophile 13]

Doobes, I'm curious to know where this leads you. I hope you'll let us know what you ultimately decide to do with the hobby.

[appletonrc]

Heck, if you truly loved playing with the tools.. .do what you love? Who says you have to actually make something. That is what normally happens but it you just want to spend a hour messing around in the shop with nothing to show for it, that's seems fine too. Some of my time making a little shelf to hold some screw drivers can be just as enjoyable as making a nice coffee table.

You could consider making smaller items that you could give away. Possibly toys for kids in the hospital? Cribbage boards that the church can use in their rummage sale, etc. I have made very few real projects over the last few years but I have probably used more than half my tools for things around the house or fixing things. Last summer I bought a bunch of 2x4's and make a jumbo Jenga set. I used the miter saw and the stationary belt sander to round over the edges on all of them. I had the dust collector running so three main tools in the shop. Yeah it could have been done with a hand saw and some sand paper but I enjoyed the time using the miter box, setting up a stop block, even the couple of hours using the belt sander smoothing off the edges. You don't have to have a ROI to justify your tools.

And if you are done.. that's fine too.

[doobes]

Doobes, I'm curious to know where this leads you.  I hope you'll let us know what you ultimately decide to do with the hobby.

Thanks Steve, will do.

I've had some time to postulate on the issue, and I think for the short term I'm going to maintain status quo. Most likely, I will work in the shop on those miserable wintry days when it's not fit out for man nor beast.

Greatly appreciate all the advice given. Will consider it carefully before making any drastic changes.

cheers,

[Papa Jim]

I ignored this thread for awhile because I couldn't relate but then I thought of a friend of mine who was a turner--a really good one. One day he just said he was through with it, sold his lathe and all equipment and took up photography.  Then he became really good at that, winning contests and so on, but lately he seems to have lost interest in that. Last time I saw him he said, "What I really enjoy is making money." Now he spends most of his time on a computer trading stocks!

One of my college roommates has a fantastic collection of model railroad equipment which he tired of. 

I think the take away is---figure out what you enjoy, and do that.  This is particularly true as you grow older. Retirement should be filled with things you enjoy because; "The bird of time has but little way to fly; And Lo the bird is on the wing." If you grow tired of it don't punish yourself  by continuing.  I also like the idea of having more than one hobby.  I woodwork and garden.

[Herebrooks]

Breathe Grasshopper. "enjoy every sandwich"(Warren Zevon)

[RobertJ25]

I sometimes feel guilty when I loose interest in one of my hobbies,  and look at what I have spent on it.  But what has worked for me is combining hobbies,  so that they support each other.  For instance,  when woodworking grew old ( mostly it was me that grew old ),  i took up home brewing beer.  I found that using woodworking skills to build an elaborate brewing stand was quite satisfying.  And I have some photographs that I took with a photography hobby, that I think are going to get a woodworking picture frame one of these days.